CLIR Chronicles the Unseen: Release of 2022 Digitizing Hidden Collections Symposium Proceedings

The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is excited to announce the release of the proceedings from the 2022 Digitizing Hidden Collections Symposium, held on October 12-13, 2022.

Titled Learning from and Making Use of Digitized Hidden Collections, this collection of papers celebrates the Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives program, generously funded by the Mellon Foundation since its inception in 2015. With over $28 million distributed to date, the program has played a pivotal role in digitally capturing and sharing rare and unique materials stewarded by cultural memory organizations.

Edited by Nancy Adams, the volume features a keynote address by Dr. Michelle Caswell titled, “‘So that Future Organizers Won’t Have to Reinvent the Wheel’: Activating Digital Archives for Liberatory Uses,” along with selected papers and an Afterword by CLIR program officer Sharon M. Burney. The topics covered in the papers range from privacy protection and workflow implementation to exhibit creation and translation.

The symposium provided a significant moment for Digitizing Hidden Collections grant recipients to reflect on the transformative possibilities of digitization work. As highlighted by Hannah Scates Kettler and Katie McCormick in the introduction to the proceedings, there is a growing recognition among custodians of cultural heritage about the importance of proactive digitization, emphasizing both local and global impacts.

The collection, available in PDF, is complemented by additional content such as videos, slides, and transcripts on the affiliated website.

For more information about the Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives program, visit CLIR’s program history page.

About CLIR

The Council on Library and Information Resources is an independent, nonprofit organization that forges strategies to enhance research, teaching, and learning environments in collaboration with libraries, cultural institutions, and communities of higher learning.

Contact: hiddencollections@clir.org